Genealogy and Local History

The Newberry has been collecting genealogy and local history materials since 1887. Staff at the Genealogy and Local History desk can help you explore the Newberry’s rich collections of family histories; local histories; censuses, probate, deed, court, tax, and cemetery records; military rosters; periodicals; genealogical guides; and reference works.

Finding What We Have

Explore the Newberry’s Catalogs and Guides, the primary tools for identifying and locating books, maps, periodicals, and manuscripts relevant to your research.

Genealogy Collection Strengths

Genealogies

The Newberry has over 17,000 published genealogies. The collection’s coverage of colonial America and New England is particularly strong. Many rare titles covering gentry and noble families of the British Isles are also included.

Local Histories

The local history collection includes county, city, town, church, and other local histories from all regions of the United States, as well as from Canada and the British Isles. The Newberry holds a comprehensive collection of New England town histories, as well as a strong collection of county histories from the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states. The collection of local histories from the British Isles is also noteworthy.

Genealogical Source Material

Published indexes, abstracts or transcriptions of pre-twentieth century records of birth, death, and marriage, as well as probate, deed, court, tax, and cemetery records form an important segment of the Newberry’s genealogy collection. These materials are primarily from the area of the Mississippi Valley to the Eastern Seaboard, as well as from Canada and the British Isles.

Military Records

The Newberry collects roster and pension reference works covering the colonial wars through the Civil War. Some materials on the Spanish American War and World War One are also available. The Newberry’s collection of Civil War unit histories is one of the country’s best.

Electronic Resources

The Newberry has subscriptions to several Electronic Resources of interest to genealogists. Among them are American Ancestors, Ancestry.com, Fold3, Gen-line, and HeritageQuest Online. These databases are only accessible from within the Newberry.

Periodicals

The library has complete runs of many state and county historical and genealogical publications, as well as important regional and national journals such as The New England Genealogical and Historical Register, The American Genealogist, and The National Genealogical Society Quarterly. The Newberry also holds British journals of local and regional history.